


My Body Happy

by GilliganGoodfellow



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: ASMR, Asexual Character, Candles, Human Cole (Dragon Age), Light BDSM, M/M, No Smut, Painplay, Protective Dorian Pavus, Protective Iron Bull, Rope Bondage, Sensual Play
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-06
Updated: 2019-06-06
Packaged: 2020-04-11 22:06:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19118620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GilliganGoodfellow/pseuds/GilliganGoodfellow
Summary: Cole's thinks that his body can only feel pain, until the Iron Bull decides to show the spirit-turned-human what else it can feel. Bull lives to serve, and the scene he creates is tailored to Cole's wants, but also his innocence.





	My Body Happy

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know why my mind came up with this.  
> I don't think I want to know.

“So, Bull? You and Dorian?” Varric smiles, the gesture growing wider as The Iron Bull hums.

The dwarf waves his hands, as if drawing the scene in the air. "Two worlds tearing them apart, Tevinter and Qunari, with only love to keep them together."

Dorian, who is walking ahead of the group with Cole, spins round to face them. “I don't see how this is even remotely your business, Varric.”

Bull, meanwhile, is being Bull. “Could you make it sound angrier? LOVE is a bit soft.”

“Please stop helping the dwarf.”

“How about passion?” Varric addresses Bull.

“Yes, that's better.” Bull nods. “Love is all starlight and gentle blushes. Passion leaves your fingers sore from clawing the sheets.”

Dorian closes his eyes as if in pain. “You could at least have had the courtesy to use the bedposts.”

“Hey, don't top from the bottom.”

“Passion it is, then.” Varric gives Bull a mock salute, before falling back to talk to The Inquisitor.

Cole slows down slightly, a hand against his face.

“Honestly, Amatus. Must you?”

“Hey.” Bull grabs Dorian from behind. “I’m not going to apologise for being proud of us, Kadan.” He folds around the mage, teeth gritted as he holds lips to his ear. “And when we get back to Skyhold, I’m going to make every inch of you proud of it as well.” He strokes a hand in front of Dorian. “Every single inch.”

His hands move to Dorian’s arms, stroking up and down the bare skin, and the mage forgets where he is for a moment. When he is. He can feel himself stirring.

When Bull let’s go, Dorian almost collapses right there in the middle of the Emerald Graves. “Bastard.”

“Your bastard.” Bull gives Dorian a playful slap, then moves onwards, his smile widening as he sees Cole watching them. “You like what you see, kid?”

He expects Cole to grimace, or otherwise look away awkwardly. Instead, the boy looks thoughtful, a hand still stroking against his cheek.

“Hey.” Bull crouches down so he is eye level with the boy. “You okay, Cole?”

Cole looks down at his own hands, his face quizzical. He is studying the fingers as if seeing them for the first time. “What does it feel like, The Iron Bull?”

“What does what feel like?”

“Passion.” Cole says, quietly. “Pleasure.”

“Oh. Well.” Bull nods. “It feels like happiness, Cole. But, in every part of you. Like your whole body feels happy.” He rests a hand on Cole’s shoulder.

“Oh.” The boy says, looking down.

“Hold still a moment.” Bull carefully adjusts Cole’s hat so he can see the ear. “Stay absolutely still, and look straight ahead. Look at that tree there.”

Cole does as he is told, and Bull reaches up, gently placing his finger against Cole’s ear. He waits a moment, then traces across the skin, around the edges, inside the flap.

Cole closes his eyes.

“You feel that, Cole?” The Iron Bull smiles. “Now imagine that, but it’s your whole body. All at once.”

He doesn’t know how he expects Cole to react. Maybe with more questions. Or maybe some monologue of The Iron Bull’s intimate thoughts about a certain Tevintor mage.

It isn’t for a single, solitary tear to slide down the boy’s cheek.

“Oh hey, kid.” Bull moves his hand to cup Cole’s cheek. “Did I hurt you?”

“It felt...I...I didn’t know bodies could feel happy too.” Cole looks at the ground. “The Templar’s burned Cole’s real body, after it starved. It would have hurt.”

“Don’t think about that, Cole.” Bull says.

“I want it to feel happy.” Cole says. “I want to learn how to make my body happy. It keeps me alive, helps me to help people. It deserves to be happy.”

And The Iron Bull’s face falls.

Shit.

 

* * *

 

Dorian has a bottle of wine on the table beside him, next to a cup.

He hopes one bottle is enough.

 

The problem with The Iron Bull taking charge of ANY educational experience, is that the Qunari very much believes in learning from experience. Hence how Cole’s new found curiosity in pleasure and sensuality (for which Dorian fully and one hundred percent blames Bull, Varric, Cassandra and Swords and bloody Shields), has lead to the current situation.

That is, Cole laid on Dorian and The Iron Bull’s bed, dressed in loose shorts and a vest and now having his wrists bound to the headboard.

 

Dorian sometimes has moments where he wonders how his life has become what it has become, and this is definitely one of those moments.  

 

* * *

 

The discussion is surprisingly pleasant. Sat around a small table, Cole picking at a pastry. One can almost be forgiven for thinking that the boy isn’t listening to Bull as the Qunari explains what is going to happen that evening. He seems to be completely focused on the texture of the food against his fingers.

“Got any questions so far, Kid?”

“Yes.”

After a moment of silence, Bull chuckles. “What do you want to ask me?”

“Will it hurt?”

“Do you want some of it to hurt?” Bull asked, his voice still calm and patient.

“Dorian likes when you make it hurt. Pain makes his body happy.”

“Yeah, but you’re not Dorian. And your body is DEFINITELY not Dorian’s”

“I’m me. I’m Cole.” Cole tilts his head towards The Iron Bull. “I don’t know.”

“Well, we can experiment with some pain stuff, if you're comfortable doing that.” Bull says, smiling. “But mostly, I’ll be gentle. Tender.”

Bull puts a cup to his lips…

“Will you use an orlesian tickler?”

...and spits the water across the table.

 

* * *

 

The Iron Bull has spared no detail in preparing the scene. Candles, some scented, fill the room. He’s hung some chimes by the window, so there is music.

Cole watches quietly, eyes focused on The Iron Bull’s work as he carefully finishes tying off the silk rope. That done, the Qunari gently presses down on each of Cole’s fingernails, watching them turn white and then darken as he releases them.

It’s a symbolic gesture of care, because even where he is sitting, Dorian can see that the rope is loose. A good sharp tug, and Cole can easily free himself.

The mage sits back in his chair, arms and legs crossed casually. He knows his role tonight.

 

* * *

 

“You want me to WHAT?”

“Not like THAT, Kadan.” The Iron Bull is surprisingly laid back considering he has just as good as asked his partner to watch him play on their bed with another man. “Look, this won’t be a sex thing.”

“Hence why we are still talking.” Dorian pinches at the bridge of his nose. “Dare I ask what it WILL be?”

“Cole wants to learn about his body.” Bull says, matter of factly. “He wants to discover what it can feel. Pleasure, shit like that. And I’m not leaving that curious naivety alone where some sick bastard fuck can find it.”

Dorian nods. “Go on.”

“It will be mostly sense play. Tickling, massaging. But he’s never done ANYTHING like this. I don’t even think the kid’s ever held someone’s hand.” Bull holds Dorian’s hand for a moment. “He’s up for tonight in discussion, but there’s a chance it will freak him out. And if he gets upset, I don’t want him alone in the room with the guy causing it.”

Dorian nods, his arms now crossed. “So I’m there to provide comfort if he needs it.”

“And as a second pair of eyes.” Bull looks from Dorian to the bed. “I trust myself, but I’ve only got the one eye and I don’t know Cole’s habits yet. I might miss a sign of distress that you notice.”

“Alright.” Dorian nods. “But you do realise that this whole thing is utterly ridiculous.”

“Of course it is, Kadan. It’s Cole.”

 

* * *

 

Dorian watches.

“Okay, kid.” Bull’s voice is soft. “Take a moment, nice deep breath.”

Cole does as he’s told, eyes fixed on the ceiling.

“Any questions?”

Cole looks at the Qunari. “What will you do, first?”

The Iron Bull taps the headboard. “I’m going to start with your arms. I’ll only do what we talked about. No surprises. Are you ready?”

Cole takes a deep breath, and nods.

“Right arm first.” Bull says, quietly reaching over and placing a finger on the boy’s inner wrist, just below the rope. Quietly, he starts to run the finger down the skin, stopping to draw a circle inside Cole’s elbow before moving back up to the wrist.

Despite his spirit origins, Cole is apparently a VERY tactile young man, if the boy’s instant reaction is anything to go by. His face tenses and then falls slack, breath hitching slightly and toes curling and uncurling. The Iron Bull runs his finger back up and down the inside of his forearm. Then his finger moves to the left arm, repeating the gesture.

The Qunari pauses for only a moment, before he uses both hands to trace up and down each of Cole’s arms at the same time, and Cole gasps.

“There.” Bull rests his hands on Cole’s shoulders. “Deep breath. Let your body process. This is all new for it.”

Cole’s jaw trembles as he feels the last echoes of sensation fade. “Can you do it again?”

“Of course. But I want to try something else first.” Bull moves into his field of vision, holding up a blindfold. “Remember me telling you about this?”

Cole nods.

“Do you want to try it with the blindfold?”

“Yes.”

“Okay.” Bull leans forward, letting his friendly smile be the last thing that Cole sees before he carefully wraps a blindfold around the boy’s head.

Dorian notices the change instantly. Cole’s feet, unbound, start to fidget on the bed, bare toes clenching as the ankles cross. The boy’s breath quickens, and he bites at his lip.

Poor thing. He hates the dark. Cabot told them that Cole keeps his door cracked open when he is asleep, so that the light of the tavern trickles in.

“I’m right here.” Bull is saying. “I’m right beside you. Nothing is going to get you, I won’t let it. Let yourself be scared if you need to, but then let yourself learn that there’s nothing to fear here. You’re strong here. This darkness can’t hurt you. Let the fear enhance what you’re feeling. You control IT.”

“Strong here. With you. Facing fear, like Cullen says to the soldiers. You overcome it, and are stronger in the overcoming.”

“You’re doing great, kid.” Bull moves back to the headboard, and repeats his movements from earlier, fingers tracing down and up in ever increasing lines before finally moving past the elbow and down the entire length of the arm.

Cole gasps, his breathing loud but slow as the tracing moves to his shoulders, gently moving across his neck and down until both fingers meet at the top of Cole’s breastbone. There they draw small circles, before parting to trace back along the neck, shoulders, and up the arms.

Bull glides his fingers up to their original spot on each wrist and then repeats the slow, gentle trail down to Cole’s chest.

“How does that feel, Cole?” The Iron Bull whispers.

“There’s movement.” Cole smiles. “I can feel touch in places you’re not touching.”

“That’s normal. Do you feel it tapping in your spine?” Cole nods, and Bull draws another circle on Cole’s chest. “Yeah, that’s a nice feeling isn’t it? You alright with the blindfold?”

Cole’s voice has taken on a distant sound, as if he is talking in his sleep. “The dark is frightening.”

Bull stops his tracing for a moment, resting his hand on the boy’s chest.

“I think of hunger and pain and loneliness. Cold floors and rats. He thought of the cupboard where he hid from father. Nothing good comes from the dark.”

Dorian shifts in his chair, but The Iron Bull stops him with a raised hand, before leaning towards Cole.

“Do you want the blindfold off, Cole?”

“No.” Cole shakes his head. “This isn’t frightening now.”

“You’re mastering your fear.” The Iron Bull smiles. “I’m really proud of you.”

Dorian’s pretty sure that the smile that this praise brings to Cole’s face could light a veilfire brazier.

The Iron Bull runs a very gentle finger across the blindfold. “I won’t stop being proud if you decide to take it off. Wanted you to try it because I know it can enhance things. Help you feel your body more. But your comfort is the most important thing right now.”

“I’m alright, The Iron Bull.”

Dorian thinks that alright isn’t a strong enough word. Right now the boy is melting into the mattress as The Iron Bull moves to his ears, tracing the edges, gently passing his fingers over them. Then he moves back down to the chest, following the collar of the loose vest Cole is wearing, and then circles on each shoulder, shapes drawn gently along the neck and jaw.

“Just focus on what you’re feeling.” The Iron Bull whispers. “Let your body tell you what it does and doesn’t like. And then you tell me.”

He moves his fingers back up to Cole’s wrists before beginning a slow, torturously slow Dorian thinks, series of small circles in a winding path back down to the elbow, where he draws figures of eight over and over on each arm.

Cole’s face is completely free of tension now, and Dorian has a pretty good idea of how he is feeling. The mind floating in the pleasurable stimulation of his skin as The Iron Bull alternates between feather light tracing and soft taps against the flesh. He moves down to Cole’s stomach, fingers dancing across the material of the vest before moving down, skipping past the groin to begin again where the shorts end and the skin of Cole’s thigh begins.

Cole flinches. “Not there.” He gasps. “Too sharp.”

“Sorry, Cole.” Bull nods, moving up to pat the boy’s shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

The Iron Bull waits until Cole’s breath is calmer. “Do you want to stop?”

“No, but...not there.”

“Carry on from the knees?”

Cole nods.

The Iron Bull then begins tracing around the knees and below. The top of Cole’s feet.

Cole explores each new sensation with deep breaths, his mouth moving slightly as if he is mumbling.

Dorian drinks in the sight, his wine as good as forgotten. How amazing it must feel, to explore and experience gentle touch for the first time after so much pain, hardship and isolation. Dorian can’t help the lump that it brings to his throat as he watches Cole clearly enjoy the scene that Bull has made for him.

“We’re going to try something else now.” Bull’s voice is light, but then he gives Dorian a stern look.

The mage returns it with a nod. He understands the message perfectly. Pay attention. Watch Cole. Watch out for Cole.

Slowly, The Iron Bull traces over the material of Cole’s vest and then, after a pause, moves his hand under the clothing, leaving light strokes across the boy’s now bare stomach as he slowly pushes the material up to fold against his chest.

“Say our rules again, Cole.” He traces a line along the bottom of Cole’s ribs.

“No demon crap. Trousers stay on, and you don’t touch me through them. I say stop and you stop. No cuts. No bruises, they’re too much like Templars. No orlesian ticklers.”

Dorian chuckles at the last rule, but The Iron Bull doesn’t smile, and Dorian falls quiet. Is Bull...worried?

“Amatus?” He whispers.

The Iron Bull reaches towards the shelf behind him, lifting up a small candle. He lights it against one of the others in the room, and holds it up, letting the wax drop onto his own hand. He doesn’t react even as it hits his skin.

He’s done this with Dorian countless times, but...the mage looks down, then looks at Cole. It’s one thing doing it with someone who you know is going to enjoy it. But how will Cole react?

Discussing it, saying yes. That is very different to actually experiencing the task.

Dorian stands, ready to intervene if needed.

“Cole. Do you want to experiment with the candle now?”

The boy nods, but the sudden hesitation is clear in his face.

“Just like we discussed. I’ll start gentle, then slowly move up the scale.” The Iron Bull lets another drop of wax fall to his finger, waits a moment, and then holds the finger against a spot above Cole’s navel.

Cole flinches at the pinprick of pain, squirming slightly under the touch, before letting out a deep breath as the wax cools. Bull repeats the process, letting the wax fall to his own finger and then waiting a moment, before placing it against a spot just above where the first drop was placed.

Bull’s breath is clearly held as he slowly let’s the wax fall directly onto Cole’s skin in three small drops.

“STOP!” Cole’s entire form tenses, his legs kicking slightly, and Dorian immediately reaches for Bull’s hand, moving it and the candle away. There’s no resistance, Bull was already moving away on his own.

“Cole?” Dorian pushes the blindfold up, using his other hand to shield Cole’s eyes from the sudden light of the room. “I’m here.”

“My body’s scared.” Cole says, his voice close to breaking.

“Listen to it.” Dorian whispers. “What is your body telling you?”

“I’m not you.” Cole bites at his bottom lip. “I’m sorry, Dorian. The Iron Bull. I’m sorry. I wanted to like it, but I think of the pain growing. Pain is a warning. Damage. It doesn’t feel happy. I liked everything else. When it was gentle and not a warning. I’m sorry.”

Cole is clearly worried about disappointing The Iron Bull, but far from put out, Dorian thinks that the qunari looks relieved as he places the candle back on the shelf.

“It’s alright, Imekari.” He places his hands beside Cole on the bed. “May I  touch you? I just want to clean the wax off.”

Cole nods, and Bull quickly wipes the wax away with a warm cloth before pulling the vest back down to cover Cole. Then, for good measure, he grabs a blanket from where it is pooled by Cole’s feet and pulls it up, covering the boy to just below his chest.

“Tonight is about discovery, Cole.” He says. “We learned that you don’t like something. That’s a good lesson. Now you know that,  you can keep yourself safe from it.”

Cole nods.

“And I think we’ve found some things you DO like as well.” Bull smiles. “What was your favourite?”

Cole thinks. “On my arms. And on my shoulders. Can we do that again?”

“Now?” Bull smiles. “You sure you’re feeling up to it. You just used your watch word, kid. It’s alright if you want to stop and rest.”

“I’m alright.” Cole looks at the ceiling, and nods. “I don’t like the pain, but I like the gentle things.” Then he looks at Dorian. “I want to be blind. It stops the world getting in the way, so I feel it more.”

Dorian smooths Cole’s hair back, then lowers the blindfold. He doesn’t return to the chair though, but instead sits on the bed, taking hold of one of Cole’s hands within his own.

Bull, meanwhile, reaches towards the shelf. But this time it isn’t candles that he is reaching for. Instead, he returns carrying two soft brushes, one in each hand.

“Going to try the brushes, kid. I think you’ll like these.” He speaks as he begins brushing up Cole’s arms, and this time the boy actually moans, soon slipping back into what is almost a trance as the last of his fear is overtaken by the simple, soft strokes against his skin.

Dorian watches as Bull continues like that, clearly enjoying the scene as much as Cole. The brushes run along his arms and shoulders, face and ears. The only sound in the room is the strokes against flesh and Cole’s breathing, and Dorian soon loses all sense of time as he holds Cole’s hand, his own head rested against the bedpost.

By the end of the session, Cole looks like he is about as solid as a puddle, and the hand in Dorian’s is limp.

“There.” The Iron Bull slowly unties Cole’s wrists, before encouraging the boy to put his arms under the blanket. He then takes off the blindfold, smiling brightly as Cole slowly opens his eyes.  The blue of them is full of emotion, tears sitting unshed at the edges.

“You just rest now, little guy.” Bull says, gently. “You went real deep into your headspace there. Coming back from from that is going to feel rough.” He rests a hand in Cole’s hair.

Dorian looks at Bull, waiting for his nod before speaking. “Do you want me to lay beside you, Cole?”

As soon as Cole nods, Dorian slides down onto his side on the bed, a comforting arm draped over the boy.

Dorian knows exactly what this feels like. Coming out of the headspace, the mind and body already aching from the end of the pleasure. It’s a brutal payoff that has more than once had Dorian openly sobbing in Bull’s arms. Not that he would admit to that if asked.

Cole isn’t sobbing, but he is silent, his eyes closed.

“Talk to me, Cole?” Bull asks, quietly.

“I was a cloud, floating and free, waiting to burst in the storm.” Cole’s lip trembles. “My body was happy.”

“Yeah.” Bull says, and Dorian nods with agreement.

“Dorian wants you to do the thing with the brushes on HIM.”

“Oh, does he?” Bull smiles at his Kadan.

“Not on his arms.”

“QUIET you.” Dorian says, but he is laughing as he says it.

“Thank you, The Iron Bull. Dorian.” Cole says, sincerely. “Thank you for helping me to learn.”

“And that was only lesson one, kid.” Bull says, earning a sharp look from Dorian that only makes his smile widen.

Cole sighs, settling into Dorian’s embrace. “I like being human.”

Dorian sometimes has moments where he wonders how his life has become what it has become, and this is definitely one of those moments.  

But as Cole curls up against him, already half asleep, and Bull rests a hand on the mage’s shoulder in silent thanks, Dorian knows that he wouldn’t want to live any other life but this.


End file.
